Medicare Blueprint Advisors - July/August 2021

Medicare Blueprint Advisors - July/August 2021

MED I CAREBLUEPR INT.COM Health Matters

JULY-AUGUST 2021

THE SILVER LININGS OF AN ADD DIAGNOSIS

“I’m not perfect by any means, but I am proud of how far I have come with my ADD diagnosis.”

I was diagnosed with attention deficit disorder (ADD) — which is now called attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) — when I was in elementary school. Today, I view my ADD as an asset, but it took years for me to view ADD as a good thing. As I’ve grown, I’ve learned how to cope with my ADD, allowing me to see the blessings it brings to my life. As we approach World Listening Day on July 18, I can’t help but reflect on how far I’ve come since being diagnosed with the disorder — a disorder that often makes it difficult to listen. Most people knowwhat ADD is, but there can be some misconceptions. Everyone with ADD experiences it a little differently. However, its symptoms often include inattentiveness, distractibility, poor memory, and trouble focusing. I like to explain that my ADD sends my brain running at 100 miles per minute, and the moment I’m interrupted, I lose all focus. It can make being a good listener very difficult. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve learned how to be a better listener with ADD. My tactic is to take a ton of notes. If you hear me scribbling or typing during an appointment, it’s because I need these notes to process all of the information. I value the

time our clients give to us, and I know that I need all of the facts to provide the best recommendation. You have to be a good listener to do what Tim and I do every day. So, that’s a skill I worked very hard at improving. Listening can be a challenge, but there are parts of my brain I would never want to change. I’ve found that I have a greater sense of imagination than others, and I’m not afraid to take risks. When I discovered that my medication for ADD quelled this trait, I learned how to manage my ADD without it. I like the grand ideas that come with ADD. (Tim and I have a running joke that he holds tighter onto his wallet when I call him with a “big idea!”) Consequently, I’ve had to learn a lot about follow-through. For people with ADD, actually completing tasks and putting ideas into tangible results can be challenging. I’ve learned that I need focused, supportive people — like Tim and my family — around me to ensure that I actually get tasks done. Their support pushes me to see those big ideas and sometimes daily tasks come to fruition. I also found that listening to audiobooks helps me. I’m not perfect by any means, but I am proud of how far I have come with my ADD diagnosis. I may have to consistently rewind my audiobooks because my mind was wandering or request absolutely no interruptions when working on a big project to ensure that it gets done, but my ADD is part of who I am. It’s a blessing some days and a curse other days. Yet, it’s part of who I am, and I wouldn’t ever change that.

Jason Mackey

888-335-9498

1

Why You Should Sign Up for MyMedicare.gov

As we approach open enrollment, our team wants to ensure that all of our clients utilize a Medicare-supported platform to access their medical history and pertinent details about their coverage. While it’s always important to have detailed information about your medical history, this can help make the re-enrollment process this fall much easier. Our recommendation is to sign up for Medicare’s easy-to-use MyMedicare.gov. This free platform stores all of your Medicare information in one secure location. You will have access to your enrollment status, details about your coverage and claims, and your medical history on one platform. This can also make it easier to share your medical history with new providers, compare pharmacy prices, go paperless, and see a calendar of your preventative services. Medicare enrollees are often warned of the potential scams thieves use to attack them, but MyMedicare.gov is a safe and secure platform. Because MyMedicare.gov is a medical platform, it’s required to be compliant with privacy regulations. However, you can take extra steps to protect yourself. Log out after every session on MyMedicare.gov and do not share your login information with anyone. Keep that >Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4

medicareblueprint.com

Made with FlippingBook. PDF to flipbook with ease